Tensions between truck drivers and taxi operators near the Lebombo Border Post erupted in violence this weekend. A truck driver was shot, and multiple vehicles torched amidst escalating clashes.

The trouble started Friday when trucks blocked the N4 in protest of border services. Taxi operators confronted the protest, said police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.

“A confrontation ensued between the two parties,” Mohlala stated. “During that, a firearm was discharged, injuring a truck driver who was rushed to hospital.”

In apparent retaliation Friday morning, truckers allegedly torched two taxi association vehicles. By Saturday, two trucks had been set ablaze as well.

Police have opened cases for attempted murder, public violence, and property damage. But authorities say dialogue, not violence, needs to resolve the dispute. 

“We cannot allow this situation in which people’s lives are at stake to continue,” said Lt. Gen. Semakaleng Manamela. She urged both sides to work with officials before the conflict escalates further.

With tensions running high, police are investigating the incidents to defuse the border standoff before it claims more casualties.

“There are possible solutions,” Manamela stressed. “Violence cannot be the answer here.”